Krug 2003

£272.95

£274.95

Per Bottle
£279.95

Factsheet

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Description & Technical Information

The potential for a Krug vintage champagne is identified during the blending of Krug Grande Cuvée. Once the non-vintage blend has been secured and all of the reserves earmarked, the wines displaying the most pronounced character of the vintage are blended to create the vintage champagne. As it was not produced in 2003, the Pinot Noir which would otherwise have gone into the Clos d'Ambonnay blend was instead used in Krug 2003.

Krug ID: 113015 | Each bottle of Krug 2003 has a Krug ID on the back label which enables you to discover the story of that very bottle. You can do so using the smartphone App or on the Krug website.

Weather: The 2003 vintage was a year of many circumstances: dry winter and spring, very premature blooming, two serious frosts and a summer of scorching heat. With small yields, healthy grapes, extremely varied levels of maturity and over and under-ripeness, it was Krug's respect of the individual expression of every plot that produced surprisingly fresh, aromatic and balanced wines. Krug decided to create a vintage for this particular year and named it "Vivacité Solaire" (Vivacious Radiance).

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominately Premier & Grand Cru| Pinot Noir: Montagne de Reims | Chardonnay: Côte des Blancs | Pinot Meunier: Courmas, Saint Gemme, Villevenard
Grape Varieties: 46% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Meunier
Ageing: 9 years on the lees
Disgorged: Winter 2012/2013
Dosage: 6 g/l
Drink: Now to 2026

Tasting Note: Expressive aromas of citrus, plum, honey and brioche lead the way towards flavours of fresh summer fruits and grapefruit along with candied peel, roast chestnut and apple tart. With fruit, freshness, balance, expressiveness, vivacity and finesse all at the same time, you may be surprised by Krug 2003.

Champagne Krug Overview

Expert Reviews

17.5/20

Jancis Robinson MW

“ID 115023. Broad, enveloping cloud of a bouquet. Rich and sweeter than most with a sort of velvety texture. Not enormously long but lovely.
Drink 2013-2025”

18.5/20

Jancis Robinson MW

“ID 414070. Krug started the harvest on 23 August, their earliest ever, but some grapes picked early in October because of vine shutdown. Frost in spring and then heat in summer shrank the crop.
This is a wine that positively bounces out of the glass! Real spine and concentration – exotic, explosive and yet beautifully balanced. Dried orange peel and spice. Great balance on the palate. Broader and more interesting and complex than the Clos du Mesnil 2003.
Drink 2013-2028”

95/100

Jamie Goode

“ID: 114002, which means this was disgorged in the first quarter of 2014. Tight, still, with bright acidity and some pithy notes. This is not what you’d expect from 2003. Distinctive toast and citrus, a bit of white peach and some hazelnut, with nice brightness. This is taut and direct with a crisp, somewhat clipped finish. ”

95/100

Antonio Galloni

“A rich nose with deep, ripe chardonnay and pinot noir, red fruits, some dark mushrooms and plenty of grilled nuts, plus caramel, some deep spices, dried citrus, lemon peel and bready aromas. The trademark complexity is here and it freshens with air. The palate is intricately detailed and stitched together like needlework; very precise, very even. The acidity is articulated with some finesse and yet it has much more in terms of phenolics as the leading structural component. The phenolics are rich and ripe, sitting polished and even around immensely concentrated fruit with flavors of peach, nectarine and white cherry. The finish is deep, even and resonant. Drink now but rest assured it will hold for a very long time, just like Krug has proven in other warm years like '76.”

95/100

James Suckling

“Light yellow. Powerful, complex bouquet evokes fresh peach, pear, floral honey, green almond and smoky minerals. Deep, palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit flavors show outstanding vivacity for a hot vintage, picking up ginger and talc notes with air. The strikingly long, sappy finish features zesty orange pith, smoky minerals and an echo of honeysuckle. I'd be in no rush to drink this one.”

95/100

Wine Specatator

“Like taffeta in texture, this harmonious Champagne is finely honed and fresh. A wonderfully expressive version, with ample spice and graphite accents to the blackberry pâte de fruit, coffee liqueur, dried apricot, singed orange peel and crystallized honey notes. Hard to stop sipping. Disgorged spring 2014. Drink now through 2028.”

17/20

Julia Harding MW

“ID code: 113015, therefore disgorged in the first quarter of 2013.
Deeper colour than the Grande Cuvée. Broad and rich and orangey on the palate. A little woody/cedary on the palate but not especially oaky. Not that concentrated on the finish. Really very soft in the context (2004s and 1998s).”

18/20

Jancis Robinson MW

“Sipped on the terrace of 'sister property' Ch Cheval Blanc. Round and ready and not too tight. Just opening out nicely.”

94/100

Antonio Galloni

“Soft, supple and delicate in the glass, the 2003 Vintage is super expressive today. Smoke, brioche, apple tart and spice notes flesh out in a resonant, impeccably layered Champagne loaded with personality. I can't think of a young Krug Champagne that delivers this much pure pleasure at such a young stage in its life. The 2003 has developed nicely since I last tasted it about six months ago. This is class personified.”

93/100

Allen Meadows

“(Named ""Vivacité Solaire"" - Lively Radiance - at Krug relating to their unexpected results from a hot year that surprised even Krug with the fruit that was picked). Moderate golden color. A ripe, complex and mildly exotic nose combines notes of apricot and peach with plenty of yeast and baked bread nuances. There is real volume and concentration to the exceptionally rich, even heady flavors that possess outstanding depth on the palate coating finish that is supported by just enough effervescence to keep the balance. This is one of those distinctly particular wines that one either admires for being exceptional in every sense or that one finds ""just too much"". While it is not what I usually search for in fine Champagne it is unquestionably well made and despite very definitely being a creature of its vintage, it retains its ""Krugness"". For my taste it is ready as I would rather drink it now while it is still fresh, but the underlying material is indisputably present to allow for much depth to develop with time. ”

92/100

Essi Avellan MW

“Although a fine 2003 without a trace of heaviness or over-ripeness, for a Krug Vintage I find it to be distinctly simpler than the great years. The freshness of the wine is striking gained by the rather unusual blend, which has a particularly high Meunier content. Soft, deep, vanilla and tropical fruit character, the nose is now starting to show beautiful post-disgorgement development. Fleshy, round and strong body.”

96/100

Huon Hooke

“This special occasion Champagne miraculously shows none of the negative effects of the hot 2003 summer. Classic Krug biscuit, toasted bread and peanut brittle aromas, mellow and very complex. Powerful, intense, full-bodied but still light on its feet. Very dry, with great line and length. Now to 2024. 12 per cent alcohol.”

18/20

Jancis Robinson MW

“Rich, lightly smoky nose with acidity that immediately seems lower than usual. They lost a lot of Chardonnay to the 11 April frost. For the first time since 1802 they picked in August. Pinot Noir was much better quality than the Chardonnay and some Meunier lifted the notably broad, rich blend. It seems much more forward than usual Krug vintages - even more forward than the Grande Cuvée based on 2003. ”

See All Reviews

News Articles

Krug Grande Cuvée & Vintage Vertical Tasting: 2000-2010

October 22, 2018
At our most recent tasting at 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Krug Grande Cuvée Editions 162-166 NV (2006-2010), and Krug Vintages 2000-2004, including Krug 2000 from magnum. Find out which champagnes were the highest rated on the evening here.
Krug Grande Cuvée Vertical Tasting: Editions 158-166 NV (2002-2010)

June 27, 2018
Last week, we held the most comprehensive Krug Grande Cuvée vertical tasting to date. At 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Grande Cuvée Editions 158-166 NV (2002-2010). We also tasted two Krug Vintages: 2002 and 2004.
Krug Vertical Tasting: 1988-2004

February 1, 2018
Last year, we blind tasted every vintage of Krug produced since 1988 with Olivier Krug and Jancis Robinson MW. With over ten vintages, a Grande Cuvée and a magnum thrown in for good measure, it was a truly special occasion.
Jancis Robinson: Krug vintage vertical back to 1988

January 31, 2018
Read Jancis Robinson’s report of our outstanding Krug vintage vertical tasting last November. "This would have been a dream tasting anyway, but I particularly love tasting a group of wines blind."
Krug: A Visit to Clos du Mesnil & The New Krug Maison

September 4, 2017
We visited Krug over August bank holiday weekend with Jancis Robinson MW. With an unexpected visit to Clos du Mesnil, a tour of the new Maison, a mini-vertical tasting and dinner at the house, it was well-worth the long drive!
Krug Grande Cuvée Editions: First Ever Blind Tasting w/ Jancis Robinson MW

April 28, 2017
In Dec 2016, we compared five Editions of Krug Grande Cuvée in their first ever blind tasting. Alongside Krug 2002 & 2003, their quality was undeniable, as was the interesting variation between them.
Visit to Krug: How Olivier Krug & Eric Lebel are Revolutionising Champagne

March 28, 2017
The 2016 Vins Clairs; reserve wines as old as 1998; winemaking with an iPad; Grande Cuvée 163rd Edition; Clos du Mesnil 2002; and revolutionising Champagne terminology. It's all happening at Krug!
Vintage Overviews
Grand & Premier Crus Explained